1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of this invention relate to the presentation of information providing assistance to a recipient in reviewing and processing electronic messages received. More particularly, they relate to a method and apparatus for managing unread electronic messages received.
2. Background Information
Electronic messaging has become a ubiquitous means of communication for both business and personal use. The volume of electronic messages received can be overwhelming. Devices that process electronic messages typically maintain a message list identifying electronic messages received for reading and processing by the recipient. Such processing can include replying to, deleting and filing the messages. It is common to provide a count of unread messages.
Recipients of electronic messages can be classified as either: (a) cleaners—those who file/delete electronic messages to maintain a clean message list that can then essentially be used as a task list; and (b) collectors—those who rarely file or delete electronic messages and leave numerous messages unread on an ongoing basis. Anecdotally, there is roughly a 50/50 split between cleaners and collectors within the user base of handheld electronic devices.